Canon Powershot Elph - A Versatile, Durable Family of Digital Camera

I own many digital cameras right now and have owned many others in the past so I have a lot of experiences with various brands and models and can offer you loads of advice based on my own experiences. Let me tell you a little about my current faves in case you're in the market for a digital camera but have no idea where to start looking.

I admit it, I am a Canon girl. I have had several other brands of digital cameras, but I have been happiest with my Canons. I now own a Canon Rebel Digital SLR and several lenses, a Canon Powershot Elph (SD 110), and a Powershot (SD850 IS) Elph, as well as two Panasonics and a Sony.

About a year ago, I bought myself the Powershot (SD850 IS) Elph. It was love at first photo. Not only is this digital camera compact and super easy to use, but the pictures are superb. I also love the ability to take video, which my Canon Rebel doesn't have. The SD850 IS is lightweight, but not flimsy. It also fits in my small purses and pockets of my jeans, which is nice. And the improvements over my older (but still good) Canon Elph 110 are impressive.

One of my favorite features, along with the ability to take black and white or sepia photos, is the Macro, or close-up function. I have taken hundreds of photos of bees on flowers, dew drops, ants, and shells. Several of them have been blown up and framed as art. This has little to do with my skill and much to do with the impressive quality the Elph brings. To see the veins in a leaf or pollen on the feet of a bee is amazing. I am constantly seeing new things that I would never have noticed with my naked eye. You really have to see it to believe it.

Another thing to mention about the Elph is that it is much more durable than I would have expected. I wear mine on a neck-strap, and sometimes it bangs into things when I bend over or lean to get something. Even after a year of my abuse, the thing is as good as new. It has also been dropped once and rained on twice. I use my Elph for shopping (taking pictures of items and prices so I'll remember details later), take pictures of online maps instead of printing them out, taking pictures of products I need to pick up at the store, and even as a flashlight one night walking my dog.

I love coming up with new ways to use it. It is also a valuable tool for insurance purposes. Take pictures of valuables, burn them to a disk, and stick them with important documents for an emergency. If there's a fire, you'll have proof of ownership. Also, if you receive a package that is damaged, grab your Canon Elph and take shots before you open the package. It's also great if you are in a fender bender.

My mother, sister, and uncle have all bought the same model after trying mine, and they love it, too. I have personally taken over 12,000 pictures with mine, and it is still going strong. (Yes, I take pictures everyday, and sometimes will take 600 or more at a party or event.) And you can believe the next time I buy another digital camera that it will be a Canon too.

I strongly recommend anyone in the market for a compact digital camera to give the Elph a shot. It is fabulous, and really isn't too expensive. As I said, you name a brand of camera, I have probably used it. The Canon digital cameras are top quality and the Elph is amazing. And fun! Get your hands on one and see for yourself.